Questions about various 9mm Luger ammo

Hi all, I recently bought a Glock 17, and have so far only shot the 115 grain roundnose type of bullets you find at Walmart.

I'm still learning, so please bear with my simple questions!

Can I safely shoot +p ammo in my all-stock G17? And what exactly does the +p designation mean? From what I've gleaned off the boards, it's a hotter load that results in increased muzzle velocity. Is that correct?

Also, what are the advantages of the different bullet weights? For example, I want to order some hollow points from Midway, but they're all sold out of 115 grain ammo, so I'm thinking of buying 125 grain. What are the pros and cons of that, and is it even worth worrying about?

Thanks for your help.

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I'm still kinda new to all this and don't have near as much knowledge as some on here, but I do know that it is safe to shoot +P ammo in a Glock pistol. +P+, reloads, and lead bullets are not recomended in Glocks. Some shoot reloads anyway, but it even says in the manual to not shoot reloads in Glocks.

What ammo you use depends on what your intentions are. I also have a Glock 17, and for range practice I use Winchester White box or Blazer Brass 115 gr. If your looking for personal protection, you should go with a quality 147 gr. round. Because of the cost, most people practice with a cheaper round like the WWB or blazer brass, but it's always a good idea to run some of your personal protection ammo through your gun to make sure it cycles through it without any problems. You don't want to find out your gun dosen't like the ammo you have put in it when your in a life or death situation. But it's a Glock, it eats almost anything you can throw in it.

First off, most manufacturer pistols will have a disclaimer in the owner's manual about +P ( and +P+ ) ammo.

A lot of manufacturer's, including Glock, will claim that you CAN shoot +P rated ammo, but that is MAY void your warranty if you do.

A lot of manufacturer's, if you call them and talk to one of their tech types, will explain that to SAFELY shoot +P rounds in their pistol, they recommend changing a few parts, usually the recoil spring is the first and some other parts are possible. Some will flat tell you that you can do it and not worry about it. In a polymer pistol ( like the Glock and the XD ) I don't buy that for a minute. My H&K USP Tactical came rated for +P and +P+ and I still upgraded the recoil spring, just to be safe.

A +P round is basically a super-heated bullet. It produces more pressure, in the chamber, and causes the bullet to travel at a faster overall speed. The faster the bullet, the most penetration you can get.

A +P+ round is listed a round that is ABOVE SAAMI specs, meaning you got a tiger by the tail. This is very hot super heated load and can definitely cause some chamber damage if your chamber is not ready for that much pressure.

Now, what are you gaining out of it. In a .45 cal ( which is what I am most familiar with so I am only using this as an example ) a standard 5" barrel will launch a 230 grain projectile at about 840-850fps. With a +P rated round, the same bullet will leave the barrel at about 900-910fps. This is what I carry. 230 grains at 900 fps hitting you in the chest is going to alter your view of the whole day.

So, what round is right for you??

In a 9mm platform there are a lot of choices with 115 grain being the most common.

Some others are: 124grain 135grain 147grain

The heavier the bullet, the slower it is most likely going to travel, but the harder it is going to hit.

My gal carries an all steel 1911 with a 4.25 barrel. We only stock it with 135 grain +P or 147 grain +P ammo because that is the lowest level that I, PERSONALLY, feel is acceptable to stop a man sized attacker.

Now, your gun, your experience, where you live ( lots of heavy clothing like Wisconsin, or next to no clothes like Miami ) will have a lot of bearing on what is right for you.

Now, I can go on and on and on about this issue, but I am going to let you digest that, and come back with more questions if you feel like you would like too.

The idea of a heavier grain and a +p bullet is as JD stated above: to hit harder

the physics behind it: momentum = mass X velocity

hitting harder means the bullet with more momentum will impart more momentum to the target. But the weight ratio of bullet to human is so great that minor variations in bullet grain will likely not affect the target in any noticeable way besides being able to penetrate deeper, it will, however, noticeably affect recoil and, with that, the speed to reacquire the target.

The idea of taking down a human - or any living thing - expeditiously is to destroy its nervous system... which means penetration is key, you need the bullet to pass through the heart, brain, or spine to shut down movement or organized motor functions and thought. The brain can only continue to function for ~10 seconds without flow of oxygen. Now there are always exceptions to the rules

But basically:
A +p bullet means increased velocity
A higher grain means increased mass
and because - Mass X Velocity = Momentum
More momentum means increased penetration
It's also a tradeoff because you will experience more recoil